David Coote, the Premier League referee who was filmed snorting white powder during his time officiating at Euro 2024 in the summer, allegedly can’t keep his nose out of trouble.
Coote is already serving a suspension after video footage emerged of his making expletive-ridden comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
And now he’s been dragged into another scandal after it was alleged that he had discussed giving a yellow card to a certain player with a friend – with Coote, according to media reports, messaging the pal thereafter ‘I hope you backed as discussed.’
In The Book
As revealed exclusively in The Sun, Coote will now be at the centre of a probe by the Football Association.
And the governing body has confirmed that they are considering the latest claims made against the controversial referee as ‘very serious allegations’ and a ‘matter of urgency.’
The incident in question dates back to October 2019, when Leeds United took on West Brom. According to the allegations made against Coote, he had discussed booking a Leeds player in advance of the game.
According to The Sun’s report, Coote and a friend he had made online discussed the match, before talk turned to Leeds’ full back Ezgjan Alioski – the pal insinuating that he would be backing Alioski to be booked, and that they hoped Coote would help them out.
The referee responded, ‘haha don’t know what you mean.’ The friend replies that he’s off to back the Macedonian to be cautioned, and that he hoped Coote wouldn’t ‘let me down.’
Coote replies, ‘haha, will see.’
In the game, Alioski was booked as early as the 18th minute for a sliding lunge on West Brom’s Darnell Furlong, although the tackle was poorly timed and perhaps worthy of a yellow card being shown.
David Coote faces a betting probe after allegations of match fixing during LUFC v West Brom in 2019.
His friend told him to book Alioski during the match, and after the game Coote replied to his mate, saying “I hope you backed, as discussed”
Incident below: pic.twitter.com/KPhALxRSVz
— 🇮🇨🦚 (@BielsaLUFC) November 27, 2024
Coote has denied all of the allegations levelled at him, although admits that a discussion – which he described as ‘banter’ – had taken place.
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field,” Coote said.
“I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
PGMOL, the professional referees’ association, commented:
“The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials on an annual basis.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation into this matter which will be carried out independently by the FA.”
Bad Boy Ref
Normally it’s the players that generate newspaper headlines for all the wrong reasons.
But for David Coote, it’s been a month that he would surely rather forget.
First up, a leaked video that saw him slating former Liverpool boss Klopp, labelling the 57-year-old ‘arrogant’ and a ‘German ****’, while describing the Anfield club as ‘s***’.
The pair had locked horns as far back as 2020, when – after a game against Burnley – Klopp accused Coote of failing to protect his players from some agricultural fouls committed by the Lancashire side.
He was also the VAR official for a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton in October 2020, when Jordan Pickford took out Virgil van Dijk with a horror tackle that damaged the Dutchman’s ACL and ended his season. Coote decided that no disciplinary action should be taken.
Jordan Pickford should have been sent off for his tackle on Virgil van Dijk but “human error” was to blame for no red card, Dermot Gallagher told the latest Ref Watch.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2020
Earlier in November, another video surfaced, this time appearing to show Coote snorting a suspicious-looking white powder… allegedly the day before he was to be the VAR official in France’s Euro 2024 semi-final with Portugal.
The Sun has also alleged that Coote tried to arrange a ‘drugs party’ during the half-time break of a Carabao Cup tie between Manchester City and Tottenham that he was fourth official for.
Coote started refereeing at the age of 16 in Nottinghamshire leagues close to where he grew up. He climbed his way up to the National League, before being added to the Football League list of approved referees in 2010.
After eight years officiating in the EFL, Coote refereed his first Premier League game in April 2018, before being added to the Select Group 1 of elite refs that summer.